[USCC] A new twist on composting

Thu Jun 21 14:13:23 2001

Jim: Forgeting the matter is avoiding the reality that Sweden has approved
their system, and persumably had public and religious discussions of the
subject.

                    Jim McNelly                                                                        
                    <compost@cloudnet.com>           To:     compost@compostingcouncil.org             
                    Sent by:                         cc:                                               
                    compost-admin@compostingc        Subject:     Re: [USCC] A new twist on composting 
                    ouncil.org                                                                         

                    06/21/2001 02:07 PM                                                                
                    Please respond to compost                                                          

Our NaturTech containerized composters with aerated floors, temperature
control, and EPA based pathogen destruction documentation have been used to

successfully compost mortalities from chickens, turkeys and pigs up to 900
lbs without grinding. There is no reason to believe that a 200 lb human
could not also be composted.

I don't see the need for the chemical stage of liquid nitrogen prior to
composting as used in Sweden, except as it may reduce the volume of
material to be decomposed.

The process takes about 20 days with an additional 60 days of curing.  The
only signs of the corpse in the compost are some hair and teeth.  Flesh
decomposes within 7 days, bones within 14.  I guess that humans at 200 lbs
would need a minimum of 20,000 lbs per batch to ensure full decomposition,
although as little as 2,000 is theoretical.  50,000 is a typical size batch

in our composting containers.

Composting produces more than an urn of final remains.  With 10 to 25 tons
per batch with 50% weight reduction, that means 5-13 tons of finished
compost.  This requires up to one acre at annual loading rates or intensive

incorporation of 10,000 square feet up to 25,000.  Perhaps a smaller batch
is feasible if the end-use land availability or transportation issue is a
concern.  The 65 lbs of matter from freeze drying could reduce the
composting mass by 75%, but this could also be achieved by grinding, which
would evenly incorporate the flesh into the bulking matter.  I think a
2,000 lb batch is feasible with 1,000 lbs of finished compost
resulting.  This could be incorporated into 108 square feet of a flower
garden or one large tree with a  3" layer tilled in.

I know this is all very grisly, but so is cremation and so is
burial.  Draining blood and pumping the body full of toxic formaldehyde or
even more toxic chemicals for embalming is not very exciting either.  The
bereaved do not need to know or care about the details.  We are talking
about an important public service that is far superior to the ancient and
arcane death rituals that pollute our air, ground and water.  I too want my

remains composted after organs are donated, so it may be up to me to help
start the business.  Dealing with human mortalities may be the last great
social taboo to be addressed by an enlightened populace.  Most of our
burial practices have not changed in over 4,000 years, largely derived from

the Egyptian concept of preservation of the flesh for reuse in the
afterlife.  My belief system tells me that the body is dead meat requiring
waste management technology prior to beneficial reuse as plant nutrients.

The bottom line is that composting dead human bodies is feasible
technically and safe regarding public health and environmental quality.

The composting industry can supply the equipment, but starting the business

of composting human mortalities is not for the faint of heart.  I don't
know if composting would work in conjunction with or in competition with
the cremators.  How about a new term, the biotorium, to describe where the
bodies are sent?

I am open to suggestions, including to forget the idea.

Jim~ McNelly
The Compost Man
compost@cloudnet.com
Http://www.composter.com

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